OMPlate: Guiltless Grilled Cheese: Not Just for Kids!

It's for the children. Whenever I hear this phrase uttered, it is as though the utterer can think of no more noble a cause, and there can be no argument. It's for the children. I am released of any and all doubt or skepticism. Take my wallet, take my soul. Ah, the children! Angels herald, violins play.

Clearly those who utter this phrase have never spent time with an overtired, ultra-grumpy five-year-old.

Aaaah The Children!

When I am surrounded by children, I think of Lord of the Flies. They band together, form alliances, fashion swords out of simple, seemingly harmless household goods.

My own inner child, however, is all sweetness and light, playful, gentle, not in the least Orwellian. And she looooooooves grilled cheese.

Grilled cheese in the mornin', grilled cheese in the evenin', grilled cheese at supper time...

I will eat it with a house, I will eat it with a mouse. Silence, inner child, I must blog.

Guiltless Grilled Cheese

Guiltless because this is a favorite childhood treat, because children don't experience guilt (we seem to learn it in adulthood), and because this particular recipe does not use butter. It does, however, utilize a package, so here is my first openly cheating moment on OMPlate (as far as you know ha)!

I hope this isn't a dealbreaker for Keller, because he does a great grilled cheese with gruyere, which is heavenly, and much more grown up.

However, harkening back to my roots and a time when Kraft Singles were like a fixture in every American fridge (along with the green torpedo of grated "cheese"), I am a sucker for the ooey gooeyness of pasteurized processed cheese product. Alliteration at its finest, and hey, this one's organic!

So I use a whole wheat sourdough on most occassions, though it's great on a nice whole wheat squaw bread as well. I put a little olive oil in a pan over med-low to medium heat. I like to slow cook my grilled cheese for the extra gooey effect.

I know this sounds like Grilled Cheese for Dummies, but I must follow it through to the end. I place a piece of bread in the pan, add two slices of cheese on top, then sandwich it with the other slice of bread, and drizzle a little olive oil over it. When the bottom starts to crisp (about three minutes), I flip it and sprinkle a little salt over the top.

Once the second side is done, I remove it to a cutting board, wait a couple of minutes, and slice.

Toasty, cheesy perfection.

I usually accompany one of these with a nice spring green salad. Today, however, I had a plethora of carrots and celery I needed to prep.

Notice the finger peeler, one of my favorite kitchen tools. Peeling the carrots makes them slightly sweeter, and more appealing to my five-year-old, which means less chance of her binding and gagging me in my sleep.

These veggies are great to keep around during the week for use in salads and with dips, like hummus. I keep them in containers that are easy to grab and use for snacks.